Miss America pageant to see first tattooed contestant

Miss Kansas, an Army National Guard sergeant, has refused to hide her tattoos during during Sunday’s Miss America Pageant.

“Why am I choosing to [bare] my tattoos?” Sgt. Theresa Vail said in an interview with People magazine. “My whole platform is empowering women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers. What a hypocrite I would be if I covered my ink. How can I tell other women to be fearless and true to themselves if I can’t do the same? I am who I am, tattoos and all.”

Sgt. Vail is a senior at Kansas State University, “majoring in Chinese and chemistry; an expert M16 marksman; a bow hunter; a skydiver; a boxer; a mechanic and former motorcycle racer,” MSN Entertainment reported.

“My passion is empowering girls through male-dominated outdoor sports,” Sgt. Vail said. “I want to help them develop confidence, to let them know that they have what it takes to accomplish anything they want to accomplish. I know many young girls look at beauty candidates and think, ‘What a perfect life they have.’ But I want them to know that I haven’t led a perfect life, and that beauty comes from the inside.”

The 2014 Miss America Competition preliminary contests began Tuesday in Atlantic City and Sgt. Vail didn’t take a win for her tattooed bikini walk or her opera-singing talent.

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About the Author

Jessica Chasmar is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times, covering topics on culture and politics. Originally from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Jessica graduated from the University of Florida where she received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in mass communication.

During her time at University of Florida, she worked as an associate editor for The ...